


Spinning my Wheels

by GoldenKitteh



Category: Recess (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), College students on vacation, Cute, Exes, F/M, Feeling Stagnant, Friendship, Fun, Funny, Gen, Innuendo, M/M, Mechanic!Spinelli, Old Friends, Plans, Rekindle, Reunions, Reuniting, Slice of Life, Staying at a rich person's house together, Vacation, coming home from college, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenKitteh/pseuds/GoldenKitteh
Summary: TJ has moved on, but Spinelli isn’t willing to let him go so easily. Will her elaborate plan to get him back work? Read to find out!
Relationships: King Bob/T. J. Detweiler, T. J. Detweiler/Ashley Spinelli
Comments: 10
Kudos: 2





	1. Reunion

“Whompin’ Bobula!” Gretchen notes as she enters the grand foyer of the spectacularly large dwelling.

“Goodness gracious! This place is huge!” Mikey proclaims in amazement

“Spinelli, how did you say you know these folks again?” Vince inquires skeptically

“I fixed this rich guy’s engine problem when his Bentley broke-down on the side of the freeway. He gave me his number, so as long as I make arrangements with him beforehand, I get to use this place whenever his family’s not staying here!” Spinelli informs

“How serendipitous!” Gretchen exclaims, equal parts enamored & impressed.

“It’s a shame Gus couldn’t make it.”

“Yeah well, it’s not exactly like they let you take breaks in the army.”

“Although belatedly, at least TJ will still be joining us!”

“When are he and Bob due to get here anyway?”

“Not sure, but it shouldn’t be too long. He texted me it was a five and a half hour flight before they took off, and that was three hours ago.” Spinelli informs

“Hey, if we hurry, we’ve got just enough time to shower, change, and meet them at the airport!” Vince reminds

At this, the friends all eagerly scatter into the mansion, picking rooms, throwing their things down, and scattering off to the various bathrooms to freshen up.

* * *

Once everyone’s bathed & changed, they’re all rushing outside to pile into one of the many fancy cars in the garage.

“Did I mention I’m supposed to drive each of these puppies at least once a week?”

“Really!?”

“Yeah, and that’s not even the best part: THE GUY PAYS ME TO DO IT!”

“Get out!” Gretchen shouts in her astonishment

“It’s true, I take care of his cars, and he sends me an envelope with $800 in it every month: CASH!”

“Sick!” Vince exclaims, jealous

“Yup! I keep ‘em gassed up, send him a receipt if they need parts, and I get to take the Maserati, the Rolls Royce, the Bentley, or if it’s here, the Lambo, out for a spin!”

“Neat!” Mikey proclaims

“Hey Mikey, I hate to do this, but do you mind following us there in my car? I’ll make it up to you by letting you ride shotgun on the way back.”

“Sure Spinelli, I don’t mind. But who’ll drive your car back?”

“Would you mind Gretch?”

“Not a problem, but I get to ride shotgun on the way there!”

Spinelli tosses Mikey her keys.

The remaining 3 friends pile in to the most spacious of the luxury vehicles.

“So, why do you drive this guy’s cars, anyway?” Vince asks while admiring the leather of the Maserati’s roomy backseat.

“Well, the whole reason his Bentley broke down is ‘cuz he hadn’t driven the thing in like, 5 months, then he took it out on the freeway and tried to do 70! He’s lucky he didn’t get himself killed! Anyway, after I explained that it’s not good for cars to sit idle like that, well, you get the idea.”

“Peculiar, he’s got a car for every day of the work-week. Did he say why he doesn’t simply drive them all himself?”

“He doesn’t live here, this is his vacation house.”

“I hope one day I’ll be half as rich as this guy is when I go pro!” Vince remarks

The ride goes by all too quickly before they’ve arrived at the small, local airport. Carefully handing off the keys to the valet, Spinelli and the other two wait at the entrance for Mikey.

They all walk in & sit down in the waiting area. About 20 minutes pass, then Vince spots his dearly missed companion. Thrilled, he jumps up & races over to hug him.

“Teej!”

“Hey Vince, I missed you too!” he gets out between chuckles.

The two have their moment, before they eventually part.

“Oh man, I didn’t realize how much I missed you!” Vince says, putting his hands on TJ’s shoulders, inspecting his friend.  
“You look great!”

Pulling back, he lets go to greet his other old companion. He holds his hand out, which Bob meets in a clasp, before they pull in for a half-hug. After a few pats, they let go.

As they do, the rest of the gang is already engulfing TJ with greetings of their own.

“It’s good to see you again, dear friend!” Mikey smiles as he releases TJ from his warm bear hug.

“You too Mikey!” he barely gets out before he’s being hugged once again

“Always a pleasure to see you again” Gretchen welcomes warmly as she greets, sharing with him a warm embrace of her own.

“Hey Teej” Spinelli greets, approaching him from his free side, as he throws his arm around her shoulders

“Good to see you again, Spin! This was a really good idea!”

Confused as to why he isn’t hugging her as he had all the others, but nonetheless rolling with it, she pats a hand on his back. Soon, he’s letting her go, and retrieving his suitcase.

Trying not to read too much into the gesture between the exes, Bob interjects

“It’s been a while since I’ve been back. Is that little restaurant across the street still open?”

“Oh man, a warm meal sure does sound good right about now!” TJ comments

“You know, now that you mention it, I can’t remember the last time I ate something.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Gretchen chimes in, taking Mikey’s arm so he can walk her out to Spinelli’s car.

“Shotgun!” Vince calls as they stop at the valet.

“What are we stopping here for?” TJ asks as Spinelli hands the Valet her ticket

“Oh, you’ll see…” she states slyly.

A few minutes later, as the valet pulls up, Bob shouts

“Holy crap!”

“Wha- Spinelli how-“

“I’ll tell ya at the restaurant, you guys just throw your stuff in the trunk and get in!”

Dropping their questions in favor of simply being excited to ride in a Maserati, they do as they’re told.

About 10 minutes later, once the whole group are all seated together at the small diner across the street, Spinelli recounts the full story to them all.

* * *

“Woah” Bob says, jaw nearly dropping to the ground as they pull up to the house.

“Sweet Mike! You weren’t kidding: this guy must be loaded!” TJ remarks, eyes wide as dinner plates, as he enters the dwelling with the others.

“Yeah. Pretty sweet, isn’t it Teej?” she says, the flirtatious lilt in her voice missed entirely by the two still taking the mansion in.

“How many rooms does this place have?”

“A lot. The ones we can’t use are locked, so no worries. The rest is fair game!”

“Sweet!” Bob exclaims

“So long as you don’t see any of our luggage in them, the rest of the bedrooms are up for grabs!”

“Are there any with adjoining bathrooms?” TJ asks, hopeful

“Right this way” Spinelli leads

Gretchen and Mikey take notice of the interactions amongst them as Spinelli leads TJ and Bob off to find rooms.

“Uh-oh…” Mikey comments quietly, just barely loud enough for Gretchen to hear.

“Please tell me you don’t share in my suspicions…”

“That she’s trying to get him back? Oh, definitely.”

“Oh boy.” Gretchen sighs, sharing a worried look with her large friend.

“Hey, they’ve got a billiard table!” Vince shouts from somewhere down a hall.

* * *

Once she’d shown him to the rooms he sought, Spinelli’d left TJ alone in the best bedroom available: the one with the marble shower in the adjoining bathroom.

 _“This is gonna be a sinch!”_ she thinks to herself as she walks off, sure Bob had followed somewhere behind but not totally sure of which room he’d picked. Eh, no matter. Her graciousness at him bringing a friend along was sure to score her brownie points with Teej, anyhow.

It would be a while before either of them were down, they’d had a long flight back from college & were probably both still thrown off by the time difference. They’d probably want to freshen up, too, after being stuck in a tube for nearly 6 hours.

She and the rest had agreed on watching a movie, once she’d shown them the large in-home theatre down in the basement. Fortunately, she’d anticipated their activities, and had bought popcorn kernels to put in the old-timey popcorn maker.

Feeling her phone vibrate, she hands the machine off to Gretchen before she answers.

“Hello?”

“Hey Spinelli, where are you and the guys? Bob and I nearly got lost looking for you!”

“Oh, sorry! Just stay put, I’ll come get you two. Where are you?”

“Sitting in the middle of the foyer like idiots!” he jokes

She laughs

“Alright, I’m on my way up!”

“Before you go, where’s the bathroom down here?” Vince quickly interjects

“Over there, the mahogany door.” Spinelli informs as she points

“Thanks, Spin!” he says before he heads off

Once they notice they’re alone, Gretchen and Mikey quickly converse in hushed tones.

“What are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know that there’s anything we can do, Mikey.” Gretchen admits

“Yeah, but I’ve just got a bad feeling about this! My gut’s telling me Spinelli trying to get back together with TJ isn’t going to go well!”

“I trust your gut, seeing as you’re the one whose better with these sorts of things. Sadly, you know just as well as I do how stubborn Spinelli can be when she wants something. Any attempt we make to stand in the way of her plan is only going to anger her, which is certain to ruin the week for all of us.” Gretchen points out

“Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point.” Mikey relents

“All we can really do is damage control if and when things go south. At that point, I’ll be happy to go along with any ideas you may have.”

“Okay. I just hope it doesn’t get out of hand…” Mikey responds before they both hear footsteps approaching.

“Quick, grab a popcorn box!” Gretchen directs in a hasty whisper

Mikey does so, Gretchen then follows by hurriedly shoveling the popped kernels into the large container.

“Oh boy, popcorn!” TJ exclaims upon smelling the warm, buttery treat. He rushes down the stairs, Bob & Spinelli sharing a chuckle behind him.

“Hook a fella up?” TJ asks, making puppy-dog eyes at Gretchen, true as ever to his flirtatious & charismatic nature as he approaches.

“Always.” She responds with a smile as she pours him a bucket

“That does smell good, but I don’t want too much.” Bob off-handedly comments

“You can share mine!” TJ responds, patting a seat on the couch next to him.

Wondering where the heck Vince is, Spinelli calls out

“Hey Vince, you okay in there man?”

Vince, who immediately opens the door, calls out “You guys gotta see this!”

“Ew, grow up!” Spinelli calls

“Not like **that**! They’ve got a full rain-shower in here!” Vince informs, clearing up any odd misconceptions.

The gang, save for Spinelli, head over to de-mystify the bathroom in question.

A few minutes later, they’re all settled-in to their places on the exceptionally sizable, half-circle shaped leather couch.

They watch the movie largely in silence, with the occasional sound of savoring some popcorn or a cold beverage from the mini-fridges nearby.

Spinelli reaches in to take some of the popcorn on TJ’s lap, only to discover him fast asleep against Bob, who’s also dozed off.

Figuring they must still be tired from their flight, she shrugs it off, opting to take the popcorn box off his lap & try again tomorrow.


	2. Day 2

{The Next Day}

The day had gotten off to a slow start, what with nearly everyone except for her and Vince deciding to sleep in for the morning. The early birds prepare breakfast together while the rest laze about until mid-afternoon. But eventually, one by one, they’d each trickled into the dining room for a late brunch.

The gang had a rather animated discussion, which was to be expected, seeing as how they hadn’t been together like this in nearly a year; right before they all left for college. …All but her.

Shaking off her anxieties, she once again listens into the lively chit-chat.

“…but other than that, things at Georgetown are otherwise uneventful.”

“That’s actually pretty interesting, Gretch. How about you, big guy; how goes life in the big apple?” TJ inquires

“It’s great you guys, just great! I love New York! Sure, the people can be rude; but Broadway, the lights, and the wonderful people in my performing arts program make it all worth the while!”

They all smile at their lovable lug’s sweet spirit, grateful to see it unscathed by the city that never sleeps.

“Speaking of loves, whatever made you decide to go with Basketball over all the other sports, Vince?” Mikey asks

“Well, I really had to think about it ‘cuz I really did love all the sports I played. Ultimately, it came down to less risk of a head injury, so football’s out. It’s indoors so I wouldn’t have to worry about the weather, like in baseball. And, the NCAA treats their players way better than the USSF or FIFA do, so it was really a no-brainer.” Vince enlightens

“Sounds like you made a wise choice! I particularly appreciate that you thought through your long-term career options.” Gretchen smiles

“Thanks! What about you Bob? I never really heard much from you before you left 3 years ago.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I was working a lot that summer, and left in a hurry. I just wanted to run away from it all; you know, get a fresh start. I barely kept contact with anyone, except for Jordan, Jerome, and TJ here.” He gestures, nudging TJ in the arm playfully.

TJ just smiles.

“But to answer your question, Vince, it’s been good. College really is the place to reinvent yourself, and it’s a lot easier to do that halfway across the country.”

“Well, I hope the new re-invented Bob’s still good at shooting pool: I need a worthy opponent to really enjoy that plush purple-velvet!”

“Speaking of pool, I told you all to pack swimwear ‘cuz we have one here! So quit flappin’ your jaws and let’s all go get changed!” she offers, taking a couple empty plates with her to the dishwasher.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, everyone’s in their swimwear, and enjoying themselves around the pool.

TJ and Vince had cannon-balled right in, whereas Gretchen and Mikey had opted to sit on the edge together and chat while dangling their feet in the water. Meanwhile, Bob was enjoying himself in the deeper end of the pool, elegantly gliding through the water like a fish.

Once she notices TJ and Vince have stopped their horseplay, she makes her move.

The two are enjoying some of the lemonade on the table in the shade, too busy appreciating the refreshment to notice her approach.

Walking over to them slowly, she stops just out of arm’s length away from TJ, whose back is to her. Placing one palm on the table, and the other on her hip, she asks

“You boys enjoy cooling off?” in a sensual manner, as she peers over her cat-eye sunglasses at them.

Turning around, TJ responds

“Yeah, the pool’s gr-eat.” There’s a hitch in his voice once he’s turned around & taken in her appearance.

…Since when does Spinelli wear [pin-up girl bikinis](https://www.google.com/search?q=pin-up+girl+bikini&sxsrf=ALeKk00nDzCwZMw4jpRoVwbQKtW_S0fGDw:1605494019649&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=EgZBY2ctKTsccM%252CD_ijnFmLGIjsZM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTu9dKVTEI4g6MdF7pHUYmF0Razjg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOp-ulg4btAhXYZc0KHdujA_MQ9QF6BAgDECA&biw=1600&bih=757#imgrc=EgZBY2ctKTsccM)?

A hint of a satisfied smirk crosses her face; all the while, she’s completely oblivious of the jealous look being sent her way.

“Who wants to play Marco-Polo?” Bob calls out

“Oh man, I haven’t done that in forever!” TJ says before placing his empty cup down on the table & heading back into the pool.

With TJ no longer standing between them, Vince gets a clear look at Spinelli’s get-up, and the disgruntled look upon her face. 

_“Am I missing something here?”_ he wonders to himself as he heads off to join in the pool game.

* * *

Several hours later, the gang had all thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon in the water & warm summer sun. Well, all but one.


	3. Day 3

* * *

{The Next Day}

Unable to shake the feeling something’s up, Vince quietly awakens Gretchen & Mikey to talk with him while they make breakfast & coffee for the rest of their friends.

“So you noticed it too?” Mikey inquires groggily, wiping his eyes as he listens to Vince.

“Yeah, it was like she was practically throwing herself at him!” Vince comments in somewhat of a hushed tone.

Gretchen turns on the sink to cover the sound of their conversation.

“Mikey and I discussed this while you were in the bathroom the night we all arrived. We think she’s definitely trying to get back together with him.”

Vince starts the burners and warms the pans as Gretchen retrieves bacon, eggs, milk, & butter. Mikey gets some bread & pancake mix as he joins them in front of the stovetop.

“But that doesn’t even make sense: she’s the one who broke it off in the first place!”

“Forbidden fruits taste sweeter…” Mikey divulges

“What?”

“He’s referring to people’s tendency to want what they can’t have.” Gretchen clarifies

“Oh. Still, it was awkward enough the first time, and he’s going to college halfway across the country. It’ll never work!”

“Never say never” Mikey retorts

“Mikey?” Vince responds questioningly

“I mean, I think it’s kind of sweet. After all, she did go through all the trouble of getting this place ready and stocked up with food and coordinating all of our schedules to get the gang back together again.”

“True” Vince adds as he pokes and prods at various foods cooking on the burners.

“Nevertheless, TJ and Spinelli’s initial break-up nearly tore our group apart. Now, with so much time and distance between us all, I’m not sure our friendship circle could withstand another blow of that caliber.”

“You’re probably right.” Mikey sighs, unable to romanticize his way out of the looming threat to the friendship group he holds so near and dear to his heart.

“So what do we do?”

“The best Mikey and I could come up with a couple days ago was damage control.”

* * *

Breakfast prepared & wafting through the air, the other 3 are quickly heading down once it’s arranged on the table.

“What’s all this?” Spinelli asks as she beholds the wonderful breakfast Vince & his assistants have made.

“We thought we’d surprise you by cooking, since you went through all this trouble to get us all together.”

“Wow, thanks guys!” Spinelli says, an honest smile crossing her face as she pulls them all into a hug.

“Please tell me there’s some left!” Bob calls as he’s rushing down the stairs. TJ laughing as he follows behind.

“Plenty, we haven’t even dished anything up yet!” Gretchen informs

“Sweet!”

The friends eat in a comfortable silence for the first half of the meal, all too busy stuffing their faces with the food Vince had put his delicious twist on. Once about half of them had gotten their fill, They chatted over coffee and tea, opting to sit around the table together a while after they’d eaten.

Eventually, they break off into smaller groups, Gretchen & Bob deciding to move their conversation to the living room, with Vince snagging TJ before Spinelli has the chance. Frustrated she’s left with Mikey, she opts to just shrug it off, not wanting to look needy.

After a while of Mikey showing her photos on his fancy new flip-phone, Spinelli was actually enjoying herself.

* * *

Later on, after lunch, the groups switch once more; TJ once again being snagged, this time by Mikey. Vince & Bob headed off to play pool in the game room, leaving Spinelli with Gretchen.

Again shrugging it off, Spinelli’s not as disappointed as she had been earlier. She did miss her friends; so she decides to enjoy their girl-time together.

“You know Gretch, this place has a sauna...” she leads

“Sounds wonderful!” the taller young woman responds as they head off.

* * *

As the 3rd night draws to a close, Spinelli can’t help feeling herself running out of options. She’s got barely 2 days left until everyone would be leaving the mansion! Sure, Teej would still be in town for a couple days after, to visit his folks, but it wasn’t exactly the ideal place for their reunion.

If she was going to get him back, she was going to have to do something bold.

…Time to put plan “sexy lingerie” into action!

Quickly changing into the outfit she’d prepared, slipping on the one nice silky-feeling robe she owns, she ties it shut with a slipknot before inspecting herself in the mirror. Dolling herself up, adding a few finishing touches, she decides she’s ready. She takes a deep breath, then opens the door. She looks around to ensure the hallway’s empty, before she quietly slips out of her room.

Once her door’s shut tight, she quickly tiptoes her way out of the wing most of her friends had chosen to stay in, around the corner, and into the long hallway TJ’s in.

_“Well, at least most of our friends won’t have to hear us. Sorry Bob.”_

Approaching his door, she slows her pace to a sensual stroll, just in case TJ decides to pop-out of his room. Slowly, she makes her way up to his door.

Hearing TJ’s voice moaning in desire, Spinelli’s nearly bold enough to open the door and offer to help him. Nearly, that is, until she’s stopped dead in her tracks by the other, deeper voice accompanying his.

Stifling a shriek, she clasps a hand over her mouth. The realization he isn’t alone soon confirmed by a few accidentally eaves-dropped groans of pleasure. Once she’s no longer frozen in shock, she takes off running.

She doesn’t stop until she’s back inside the room she’d chosen, door locked behind her, and sinking to the ground against it.

* * *


	4. Clearing the Air

* * *

{The Next Morning}

Overhearing the sound of arguing from below, Gretchen quickly awakens her friends, nearly running into a half-awake Bob in the process.

Making their way down, TJ and Spinelli’s voices become louder as the group reaches the living room.

“Spinelli, can we just talk?”

“Talk? TALK? WHAT’S THERE TO TALK ABOUT!” She says, controlling her anger just enough so she doesn’t start throwing things; internally grateful it’s mostly pillows and couches around them right about now.

“Spinelli please, I can explain!”

Now fully awake, the group enters the living room and attempts to put an end to the scene.

“Friends please!” Mikey shouts in worry at the sight before him.

“What’s going on here?” Vince inquires

“Tell them!” Spinelli directs at TJ

“Spinelli, I-“

“TELL THEM OR I WILL!” She thunders

Knowing her not to be one to make idle threats, TJ turns to Bob with his eyes wide.

Bob just nods, gesturing to the couches in front of them.

“Okay, I will. Can we all just sit down first?” TJ pleads, hoping Spinelli will at least allow him that.

Seething, she retorts

“You’ve got 5 minutes.”

“Thank you.” He responds, genuinely grateful for the bit of time she’d spared him.

Once everyone’s seated around the various couches, nearly all eyes are on him.

“Okay um… how do I start this” he says, half to himself.

“You’d better figure it out, quick!” Spinelli spits

Seeing his reaction to that, Bob reassures TJ by standing up next to him, and gently rubbing circles on his upper back.

“Hey” he says softly, instantly grabbing TJ’s full attention.  
“You’ve got this. It’ll be okay.” He reassures.

TJ, grateful as ever, smiles just a little at the reassurance, before Bob sits back down.

“Okay. Um… well… Bob and I kept in touch after he left. Not a whole lot, but enough. And it was crazy but… I wanted to run away from it all, too. I had no idea why; I loved my life here, still do, but a part of me was telling me it was time to spread my wings and fly.”

Some interested, others confused, his friends continue watching him.

“I’d told Bob I was going to be joining him at UC Davis for college, so he met up with me and helped me move-in. We reconnected, got to know one another all over again. I got to know myself better…”

Spinelli taps on her wrist in a gesture reminiscent of one tapping a watch.

“Anyway…I’d had these ah… feelings… before. It wasn’t anything totally new, but I’d never really had a chance to explore them. I was scared to death, because even though I knew he’d had boyfriends before, I didn’t know if he’d feel the same way about me. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore, so I told him how I felt about him, and ah, yeah. Bob and I have been dating ever since.”

It was quiet for a minute. So quiet, TJ could hear his heart pounding in his chest. The silence was deafening, until thankfully, Mikey spoke.

“So that’s what you were fighting about?” Mikey asked

TJ nods.

“But how did you know?” he asks Spinelli, who just shakes her head, not wanting to talk about it.

Blush makes itself evident across TJ’s freckled face.

Gretchen instantly pieces together the subtext, and tries to hide a blush of her own.

“…Were you ever gonna tell us?” Vince asks

“Yeah, but I wanted you guys to have a chance to adjust. And I wanted to enjoy my time with all of you first, just in case any of you decided you never wanted to speak to me again.”

“TJ, surely you must know that we’d never stop being your friends just because you fell in love with another guy. Would we?”

“Of course not” Gretchen reassures.

Vince takes a moment before he speaks up.

“Well…I mean it’s gonna take some getting used to… but I wouldn’t stop talking to you because of it or something.”

Spinelli just stands up and leaves the room.

“Spinelli, wait!” TJ calls after her as he follows, leaving the others behind.

Mikey soon comes over, putting a hand on Bob’s shoulder.

“I’m gonna go make sure things don’t get out of hand between those two, but I’m with you in spirit.” Mikey offers

“Thank you” Bob says, looking up at him from his seat on the couch with gratitude.

Mikey nods before he heads off in the direction he’d seen both Spinelli and TJ go.

“If it’s any consolation, I think it’s sweet.”

“You do?” Bob asks, looking towards Gretchen, who nods.

“Well, considering you’ve known each other since childhood, and have a considerable amount in common, sure. You’re still different enough for things to be interesting, though, so I can see the two of you being together for a long time to come.”

At this, Bob smiles.

“Anyway, I’m going to go get breakfast started.” She says, leaving the two former teammates alone to talk.

There’s a silence in the room for a moment, until Vince finally breaks it.

“I had no idea you were gay.”

“Neither did I back then.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Well, you guys are all mostly TJ’s friends, so I left that completely up to him. Besides, it’s not exactly the first thing I wanted to say after walking in the door.” Bob enlightens.

“Yeah, you got a point there.” Vince says, still taking the idea in.

“I hope you’re not too mad at him… or me.”

“Mad? Nah man, I’m not mad. Just… surprised… I guess. I mean, that threw me for a loop.” Vince admits.

“After I finally figured it out, it took me time, too.”

As the two former teammates have an honest heart-to-heart, a more aggressively honest conversation takes place amongst two exes in another wing.

“Spinelli, wait! Please, just talk to me!”

“Why? What’s there to say?” She spits, no idea of what intense emotion she’s feeling anymore.

“A lot, okay. A lot. Can we just sit down?” he asks, reassured at hearing Mikey take a seat just outside the room.

He gestures toward the two large chairs on opposite sides of the coffee table, never breaking eye-contact with Spinelli, who just takes a seat.

“Talk. NOW!” She insists

“What do you want to know that I haven’t already told you?”

“How could you!?”

“You broke-up with me Spinelli, did you not expect me to move on?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?!” TJ half-shouts, getting irritated.

“I mean, how could you do that in bed with him last night, knowing I was interested? You’re not dumb Teej, you saw the way I was flirting with you at the pool.”

“Yeah, but I thought you were just teasing me! I didn’t know you were trying to get me back!”

“How could you possibly not know?”

“How could you possibly think I would!? You invited all of us, Spin, not just me!”

“Well yeah, I wanted to see everyone again!”

“And that’s **all** I thought this was!”

“That… okay yeah, that makes sense.” She relents, tone easing up.

TJ sighs in a bit of relief.

“So… what about us?”

“What **about** us Spinelli? We were friends, we dated, we broke up, we became friends again. What else is there to it?”

Hesitantly, she asks the question that’s been burning in her mind since last night.

“…Did you ever love me?”

“What?” TJ asks, unable to hear the whisper of a question.

Unbeknownst to them, another listener joins Mikey in the hall.

“Us…when we were together…did you mean any of it?”

TJ’s silent for a moment, not wanting to lie, but also not knowing what to say.

“Spinelli, listen. I like you, I liked you back then, and I still like you now.”

“Enough to get back together?”

“It’s not about enough, Spinelli. I like you, just not in that way.”

“Yeah… I kind of figured.” She admits, still disappointed.  
“…So Bob huh?” she asks after a moment

TJ smiles

“Yeah. He’s… he makes me feel things I’ve never felt for anyone before, Spin. Being with him… there aren’t enough words.”

She nods.

“…I’m sorry this hurts you.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants.” She supposes, shrugging her shoulders.

“Is there anything I can do to make this easier?” he offers in earnest

“No Teej I just… need to be alone for a little while.”

“Okay, but don’t take too long. You went through all the trouble of getting us together, you should enjoy your friends while we’re here, Spin.”

Again, she just nods as TJ walks out to the hall.

He sees Mikey just outside the door, hands clasped over his heart. Before he can say anything, Bob’s walking over to pull him into a passionate kiss.

Mikey just leaves the two alone; having lived in NY he’s largely unphased by the display.

Once they pull away, TJ, nearly breathless, asks in a whisper

“Bob, what was-“

“What you said about me. I feel the same way about you, and I’m so glad to hear that you feel that way about me, and don’t want to get back together with her.” He confesses, tone equally hushed.

“I’ve only got eyes for you babe” TJ says with a playful wink.

The two kiss again before they walk off to join their friends for breakfast.

The meal helps to break the ice, Spinelli rejoins them about halfway through.

* * *

The group spends the remaining 2 days of the vacation enjoying their downtime, having fun, and generally just enjoying being together again.

* * *


	5. Departure

* * *

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and eventually, the morning of everyone’s departure has arrived.

Spinelli knocks on TJ’s open door while he’s packing.

“Hey guys. Bob, thanks again for not being too mad at me.”

“I can’t fault you too much for having good taste in men.” He says with a smile and a wink towards TJ.

Spinelli puts a smile on her face, not really ready to stop being sad for herself to be happy for them just yet, but working on it.

Far less insecure now that his worst fear had been roused and avoided, Bob offers

“I’ll leave the two of you alone to talk.”

He’d packed the night before, in anticipation of something like this happening.

“Thanks.” TJ says, nodding to him in a reassuring manner.

Bob exits the room, leaving the two of them alone. Spinelli makes her way into the room, but leaves the door open and maintains her distance from TJ.

“Hey Teej. Listen, I’m really sorry about my outburst a few days ago.”

“I’m really sorry you came to our door that night. I never meant for you to find out about Bob and I that way.” He says, still a little embarrassed.

“Well, I mean, it explains why the two of you picked a room so far away from the rest of us.”

“We don’t get a whole lot of down-time, you know? We just wanted to rest, be together, and have a little fun when we can. Besides, we’re going to my parents’ house after this.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“Where did all of that come from, anyway? I thought you’d moved on.”

“I… I don’t know. I guess I just wanted a part of my old life back.”

“Why?”

“Things might be better for all of you now, but I’m still stuck here in this same old town, hanging around in the same old places. I feel like I just keep spinning my wheels, but it’s getting me nowhere, you know?”

At this, TJ stops packing to look his friend in the eyes as he speaks to her.

“You call this nowhere?”

She remains silent, as he directs her attention to the room they’re standing in.

“Spinelli, look around! You made all this happen! Sure, we’re all away at different universities, working towards different things; but as far as I can see, you’re the one whose got things going for herself right now.”

“How do you figure?”

“You’re not even a certified mechanic yet and you’ve already got yourself a client! And a heck of one, too!”

She smiles.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Yeah, and besides Gus, you’re the only other one of us whose actually making money working in the field you want to go into.”

“Thanks, Teej. I’m sorry I went all flirty then angry on you.”

“Nothing we haven’t gotten through before.” He jokes, but only a little, not wanting to inadvertently come across flirty as he often does.

“I’m gonna go let your boyfriend know he can come up and finish packing.”

“Thanks.”

“Before I go I gotta ask… Do your parents know?”

“Yeah, they do. We told them a while ago, and they’re excited to see him again after so long.”

“I’m glad they’re okay with it.”

“So am I. You have no idea how nerve-wracking telling them was.”

“I can imagine…” she says, remembering the pregnancy scare she’d had.

“Hey Spin?”

She turns, seeing TJ holding out his arms for a hug.

It doesn’t last long, but during the few moments they do embrace, Spinelli squeezes him just enough to let him know he’s cared about.

“Alright, I’m actually gonna go get Bob now.” She says, making her way out of the room.

* * *

The friends all chit-chat for a little while once everyone’s packed and eating downstairs. Eventually, after breakfast has been eaten and the dishwasher’s been loaded, Spinelli’s asking

“Alright, since you and your luggage can’t possibly all fit in any of those cars at the same time, we’re gonna do this in 2 trips. Gretch, you mind staying here and keeping an eye on these two?” Spinelli asks, gesturing to Vince & Mikey, who take some offence.

“Rest assured, you can count on me!”

“Hey!”

TJ just laughs, before Spinelli directs,

“Okay lovebirds, you’re first, let’s go!”

“Bye TJ!” Mikey bids as he and Gretchen both hug their friend goodbye.

“It was nice seeing you again Bob. Don’t be a stranger, alright?” Vince bids, patting him on the shoulder.

“It was nice seeing you too; maybe next time I’ll actually beat you at pool!”

“Maybe, but don’t count on it!”

Gretchen and Mikey bid Bob Goodbye, as Vince then turns his attention to TJ.

“I’ll miss you man.”

“I’ll miss you too, buddy.” TJ assures, smiling, before he and Vince once again hug, patting each other on the back.

Once they’ve all said their goodbyes, TJ and Bob get into the back of the Rolls Royce to depart.

“Oh man, my parents are going to flip if they see us getting dropped off in this!”

Spinelli & Bob both chuckle at TJ’s child-like amusement.

 _“Some things never change…”_ she thinks to herself, comforted by the thought as she slips into the driver’s seat.

 _“…but other changes are nice.”_ she admits to herself at the feel of the steering wheel in her hands & the glimpse of her dear friend’s smile in the rear-view mirror.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> comments / kudos always appreciated <3


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